In response to the new legislation, John Wells, president of the WGAW, said “The Guild supports Chairman Leahy’s bill, which strongly combats piracy while respecting free speech and the right to privacy. This legislation recognizes the need for both strong copyright protection and an open internet.”

The WGAW is firmly committed to curtailing piracy and protecting the copyrighted works its members create. This legislation recognizes that parties such as ad networks, payment processors, ISPs, and search engines have a responsibility to help combat piracy. The Leahy bill will require them to do so.

The Guild looks forward to working with Chairman Leahy to ensure passage of this legislation and is also committed to working with Congress on other problematic elements of international piracy that this bill does not address.

The Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) is a labor union representing writers of motion pictures, television, radio and Internet programming, including news and documentaries. Founded in 1933, the Guild negotiates and administers contracts that protect the creative and economic rights of its members. It is involved in a wide range of programs that advance the interests of writers, and is active in public policy and legislative matters on the local, national and international levels. For more information on the WGAW, please visit: www.wga.org.